Amorphous uranium alloy and use thereof

Abstract

An amorphous alloy containing uranium and a member selected from the group of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof; and use thereof for storage medium, light modulator or optical isolator.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A magnetic system comprising: a magnetic medium comprising an amorphous alloy exhibiting magneto-optical rotation and containing uranium and a member selected from the group consisting of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof wherein the atomic ratio of the uranium to said member is from about 60:40 to about 20:80, and wherein said alloy further includes about 5 to 40 atomic % of Mn, Co or both;   and wherein said magnetic medium exhibits a square loop hysteresis curve, a Tc of at least about 70° K, and is responsive to light in the visible wavelengths; and has a Faraday rotation of at least about 0.9×10 6  deg/cm or a magneto-optic Kerr rotation of at least 1 degree; magnetization of at least about 100 emu/cm 3  ; Hc of at least about 5 kOe; Hall angle of at least about 4 degrees; and resistivity value of at least about 200 micro ohm-cm;   writing means for changing the magnetic state of said magnetic medium;   said writing means being comprised of beam generating means for directing electromagnetic energy at said magnetic medium and magnetic field producing means for providing a magnetic field in said magnetic medium; and   reading means for detecting the magnetic state of said magnetic mediums.   
     
     
       2. The magnetic system of claim 1 wherein said member is selected from the group consisting of As, Sb, Bi, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       3. The magnetic system of claim 1 wherein said member is Sb. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 1 where said beam is a light beam. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 1 where said beam is an electron beam. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 1 where said beam has sufficient energy to heat said magnetic medium to a temperature substantially close to its magnetic compensation point. 
     
     
       7. The system of claim 1 where said beam generating means includes a light source for providing a polarized light beam and said reading means includes an analyzer set to pass said light in accordance with the polarization of said beam as determined by said magnetic medium, and a detector responsive to the intensity of light reaching it after passage through said analyzer. 
     
     
       8. The magnetic system of claim 1 wherein the ratio of uranium to said member is from about 60:40 to about 40:60. 
     
     
       9. A beam addressable system comprising: a magnetic layer located on a substrate wherein said magnetic layer exhibiting magneto-optical rotation and contains an amorphous alloy comprising uranium and a member selected from the group consisting of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof;   wherein the atomic ratio of uranium to said member is from about 60:40 to about 20:80; and wherein said alloy further includes about 5 to 40 atomic % of Mn, Co or both;   and wherein said magnetic medium exhibits a square loop hysteresis curve, a Tc of at least about 70° K, and is responsive to light in the visible wavelengths; and has a Faraday rotation of at least about 0.9×10 6  deg/cm or a magneto-optic Kerr rotation of at least 1 degree; magnetization of at least about 100 emu/cm 3 , Hc of at least about kOe; Hall angle of at least about 4 degrees; and resistivity value of at least about 200 micro ohm-cm;   beam producing means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy directed at desired locations of said layer for heating said layer at said desired locations;   magnetic field producing means for providing a magnetic field in said layer for changing the magnetic state of said layer at said desired locations;   reading means for detecting a base of electromagnetic energy after it has struck said layer at said desired location for determining the magnetic state of said layer at said locations.   
     
     
       10. The system of claim 9 where said reading means is comprised of an analyzer for selective passage of said beam used for reading in accordance with its polarization state, and a detector for providing a signal in accordance with the intensity of said beam which strikes said detector after passage through said analyzer. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 9 wherein said substrate is rigid. 
     
     
       12. The system of claim 9 wherein the ratio of uranium to said member is from about 60:40 to about 40:60.   
     
     
       13. A magnetic storage system comprising: a storage medium located on a substrate, said storage medium being a magnetic material comprising an amorphous alloy exhibiting magneto-optical rotation and containing uranium and a member selected from the group consisting of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof;   wherein the atomic ratio of uranium to said member is from about 60:40 to about 40:60; and wherein said alloy further includes about 5 to 40 atomic % of Mn, Co or both;   and wherein said magnetic medium exhibits a square loop hysteresis curve, a Tc of at least about 70° K, and is responsive to light in the visible wavelengths; and exhibits a Faraday rotation of at least about 0.9×10 6  deg/cm or a magneto-optic Kerr rotation of at least 1 degree; magnetization of at least about 100 emu/cm 3 , Hc of at least about 5 kOe; Hall angle of at least about 4 degrees; and resistivity value of at least about 200 micro ohm-cm;   writing means for changing the magnetic state of a plurality of selected portions of said storage medium, said writing means including: heating means for locally heating selected areas of said storage medium;   magnetic field producing means for providing a magnetic field at said selected areas for altering the magnetic state of said storage medium at said selected areas;     reading means for detecting the magnetic state of said selected areas of said storage medium, said reading means including: light means for directing a polarized light beam onto said selected areas of said storage medium to cause polarization rotation of said light beam in accordance with the magnetic state of said storage medium at said selected areas, and   detection means responsive to the degree of rotation of said light beam polarization.     
     
     
       14. The system of claim 13 where said heating means is comprised of a beam producing means for directing a beam of electromagnetic energy onto said storage medium. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 13 where said electromagnetic beam is a light beam. 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 13 where said beam producing means is a laser. 
     
     
       17. The system of claim 13 including means for moving said storage medium. 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 13 where said heating means is comprised of a light source for directing a light beam onto said storage medium. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim 13 where said light source also provides said polarized light beam used for reading. 
     
     
       20. The system of claim 13 where said magnetic material is located on a conducting substrate. 
     
     
       21. They system of claim 13 where said magnetic material is located on an insulating substrate. 
     
     
       22. In a storage system comprising: a storage medium onto which is incident an electromagnetic beam used to write a plurality of bits of information into the storage medium or to read the information associated with the bits stored in the storage film, the improvement being a magnetic storage medium containing an amorphous alloy exhibiting magneto-optical rotation and comprising uranium and a member selected frown the group consisting of N, P, As, Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof;   wherein the atomic ratio of uranium to said member is from about 60:40 to about 40:60; and wherein said alloy further includes about 5 to 40 atomic % of Mn, Co or both;   and wherein said magnetic medium exhibits a square loop hysteresis curve, a Tc of at least about 70° K, and is responsive to light in the visible wavelengths; and exhibiting a Faraday rotation of at least about 0.9×10 6  deg/cm or a magneto-optic Kerr rotation of at least 1 degree; magnetization of at least about 100 emu/cm 3 , Hc of at least about 5 kOe; Hall angle of at least about 4 degrees; and resistivity value of at least about 200 micro ohm-cm.   
     
     
       23. The storage medium of claim 22 wherein said member is selected from the group consisting of As, Sb, Bi, Se, Te, Po and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       24. The storage medium of claim 22 wherein said member is Sb.